Thread control switch



May 21, 1963 K. RUTscHE THREAD CONTROL SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheekl 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1960 .mf rr May 21, 1963 K. RUTscHE THREAD CONTROL SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1960 Fig. 3

Fig. 5

United States Patent O 3,090,845 THREAD CNTRGL SWITCH Kari Rutsche, Romanshorn, Switzerland, assignor t @chier AG., Au, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, a corporation ot Switzerland Fiied Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,630 Ciaims priority, application Switzerland Nov. 27, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 21m-61.18)

The present invention relates to a thread control and, more specifically, to a thread control device especially for use in connection with embroidering machines.

Mechanical thread control devices are known in connection with embroidering machines which devices are adapted to indicate a break in the thread. These heretotore known thread control devices are, however, complicated and require a cumbersome looping of every single thread through a number of ears.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a thread control device which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

lt is another object of this invention to provide a thread control device, especially for use in connection with embroidering machines, which Will be very simple in construction and operation and will be highly eflicient.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l illustrates a section through a thread control device according to the present invention.

FiG. 2 shows a view of the device of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow A but on a smaller scale than FIG. l.

FiG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the thread control device according to the invention with the thread in stretched condition.

FIG. 4 shows the same device as illustrated in FIG. 3 but with the thread in slack condition.

FIG. is a diagrammatic view of the device according to the invention but with the thread in broken condition and the signalling device in operation.

The thread control device according to the present invention is characterized primarily by a plurality of adjacent feeler members arranged in a common housing and respectively engaging the thread to be controlled or felt, said feeler members being movable independently of each other and being operatively connected with a springloaded contact member in such a way that when said feeler members are not under load, the respective contact members, which are arranged in parallel, will be closed.

More specifically, with reference to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1 thereof, the thread control device comprises a feeler member 1 provided with two laterally arranged ears 2 between which passes the thread 14 to be telt or sensed. The larrangement is such that the thread 114 in stretched condition thereof-which condition periodically alternates with a slack condition-presses the respective feeler member downwardly in the direction of the arrow B. The -feeler member 1 is provided with a cylindrical extension 3 extending into the bore 4a of a U-shaped member 4 which may consist of metal, especially an aluminum alloy. The free legs of the U-shaped member 4 are connected in any convenient manner to a base rail 5 consisting of insulating material or having at least its outer surface made of insulating material. As will be seen from FlG. l, studs 6 are pressed into said base rail 5, and the said studs 6 are by means of a blank wire 7 arranged in electric parallel connection with each other. Each ot the studs 6 has slipped thereover an 3,090,845 Patented May 21, 1963 ice axially displaceable sleeve 8 the interior of which houses a spring 9. -One end of spring `9 rests against the adjacent end face of stud 6, whereas the other end of spring 9 rests against the cylindrical extension 3 ot the feeler member 1 so that the end yface of sleeve 8 rests against the connecting arm 4b between the two legs of the U- shaped Imember 4. Sleeve 8 is connected to the cylindrical extension 3- by a tight iit or press tit, and the ends of spring 9 are bent in such a way that they will engage the adjacent contact portions of stud 6 so that a current connection may also be effected by spring 9 alone if the contact between sleeve 8 and stud 6 should be insui'licient. Spring 9 exerts a very slight force in upward direction, i.e. opposite to the direction B, upon the feeler member 1, somewhat within the range of from 3 to S grams.

Base rail S is provided with a groove 11 which is open in downward direction and is covered by a -plate 10. The groove 1:1 has arranged therein a plurality of insulated wires 12.

A group of `feeler arrangements as just described is combined to a closed unit which is connected to a row of parallelly arranged adjacent units. This connection is eiiected by disengageable multiple plugs Ztl, 22 with plug pins 21 and plug holes 23. The wire 7 of each unit is passed to a plug coupling which through wires l2 each is connected to signalling lamps 15 or other signalling devices. The other electric pole is connected to the U-shaped metallic member 4. The electric diagram is such that a switch 18, provided for instance with a rotor 17 and a collector ring 16, is connected with the respective embroidering machine and feeds current to the units only when the threads 14 are in stretched condition and thereby press the lfeeler members 1 downwardly. It will be appreciated that the threads 14 used in the embroidering process are periodically stretch-ed or tightned and slackened during a single embroidering stitc It may now be assumed that a thread broke. In such an instance, the corresponding teeler member 1 is not pressed downwardly any longer and a current will pass from the U-shaped member 4 through sleeve S and stud 6 to the blank wire 7 and `from there through wires 12 of the `adjacent group and further units to the signalling lamp 15 which will light up thereby indicating to the operator the break in the thread so that the operator may then remedy the situation. It will be appreciated that the contact points of sleeve 8 do not have to turn od or turn on currents because this is effected by the switch 1S which cooperates with a rotating machine part so that during a full stroke of the needle, the rotor 17 of the switch makes a full turn so that no sparks will form and no burning ott at the contact points of the teeler members will occur between the sleeve S and the connecting arm 4b. The contact points are nevertheless made of well conducting material or may have inserts or coats of such material.

The coupling plugs Zit, 22 are placed upon the end faces ot the U-shaped member 4 and are designed similar to the well known multipolar or polyphase plugs so that they can easily be connected.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to Ithe particular construction shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

In this connection it should also be noted that the thread control device according to the present invention is not limited to its use in connection with embroidering machines but may also be employed for other machines processing yarns and thread-shaped members.

acarrear) What I claim is:

1. ln a system for indicating a break in threads to be watched: a plurality of feeler members arranged in a row, a metallic casing of U-shaped cross section common to said feeler members and partially housing the same, said teeler members being movable independently of each other and being adapted to engage the threads to be watched, a plurality of metallic tubular members respectively associated with said feeler members and having that end which is adjacent the top of said casing in engagement with the respective adjacent feeler member, said tubular members respectively extending between the side walls of said casing, a plurality of spring means respectively mounted within said tubular members, and stationary conductor means common to all of said tubular members and electrically connected thereto, each of said tubular members contacting the bottom side of said casing when said feeler members are Linder no load.

2. lln a system for indicating a break in threads to be watched: a plurality of feeler members arranged adjacent to each other in a row, a casing of U-shaped cross section with a top and lateral legs, said casing being common to said ieeler members and partially encasing the same, said feeler members being movable independently of each other and being adapted to engage the threads `to be watched, a base rail connected to the free ends of the legs of said casing, said base rail being provided with a groove opening in downward direction, a plurality of conductor means mounted in said groove, and a plurality of spring-urged contact members respectively associated with said feeler members and electrically arranged in parallel, said contact members being closed in response to said feeler members being under no load.

3. In a system for indicating a break in threads to be Watched: a plurality of feeler members arranged side by side, a single casing housing said feeler members, said feeler members being resiliently supported in said casing and being movable independently of each other in said casing, said `feeler members being adapted to engage the threads to be watched, conductive means carried by said casing and extending over the range of all of said eeler members, a plurality of contact members respectively associated with said feeler members and electrically arranged in parallel, during normal operation of the machine with which the system is associated, the threads engaged by the feeler members being alternately under full tension so as to cause the feeler members to hold their respective contact members in spaced relation to said conductive means, and then being under such reduced tension as to cause the feeler members to permit their respective contact members to engage said conductive means, and a switch in circuit with said conductive means and operating in synchronism with said machine, said switch being operable to close an electric circuit to said conductive means only during those periods during which the threads are under full tension, each of said contact members being held in spaced relationship to said conductive means by its respective feeler member when the thread engaged by the respective feeler member is under tension, each of said contact members being movable into engagement with the conductive means when the said thread engaged 'by the respective teeler member is broken or the tension thereon is released.

4. In a system for indicating a break in threads to be watched: a plurality of casings arranged in end to end alignment and each being in the form of an inverted U in cross section, having a top leg and side legs, a plurality of reeler members in each casing projecting ythrough the top leg thereof, each feeler member being resiliently supported in its respective casing and being movable independently of all other feeler members, and each feeler member engaging one of the threads to be watched, a rst conductor in each housing extending over the range of all of the feeler members therein, a contact member pertaining to each feeler member held in spaced relation lto said iirst conductor by the respective feeler member when the -thread engaged by `the respective feeler member is under tension and moving into engagement with said iirst conductor upon release of the tension on the thread, a second conductor in each casing connected to all of the said contact members therein, an insulating strip closing the open lower end of each said casing, a plurality of other conductors associated with each said strip, at least some of which pertain to the said second conductor of another casing, and elements of electrical connection on 'the adjacent ends of each pair of adjacent casings interconnecting the said second conductor and the ysaid other conductors thereof to electrically interconnect a plurality of said casings.

5. A system according to claim 4 in which each casing is metal and each feeler member is insulated therefrom and each Contact member is a tubular metal element carried inside the casing by the respective feeler members, said casing forming the rst conductor and said tubular elements forming said Contact members, and engaging the underside of -the top leg of the casing when the threads pertaining to the respective feelers is under no tension.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the insulating strip carries a metal pin for each feeler member, said second conductor being connected to said pins, and a spring engaging each pin and biasing the respective feeler members and tubular members toward the top ofthe casing, each tubular member being in continuous electrical engagement with its respective pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,721,291 Beachen July 16, 1929 2,643,306 Hamilton June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 604,869 Germany Oct. 31, 1934 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR INDICATING A BREAK IN THREADS TO BE WATCHED: A PLURALITY OF FEELER MEMBERS ARRANGED IN A ROW, A METALLIC CASING OF U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION COMMON TO SAID FEELER MEMBERS AND PARTIALLY HOUSING THE SAME, SAID FEELER MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER AND BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE THREADS TO BE WATCHED, A PLURALITY OF METALLIC TUBULAR MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FEELER MEMBERS AND HAVING THAT END WHICH IS ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID CASING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE ADJACENT FEELER MEMBER, SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CASING, A PLURALITY OF SPRING MEANS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS, AND STATIONARY CONDUCTOR MEANS COMMON TO ALL OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED THERETO, EACH OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS CONTACTING THE BOTTOM SIDE OF SAID CASING WHEN SAID FEELER MEMBERS ARE UNDER NO LOAD. 